Romance From Every Quarter
by romanticidiot
Summary: When Dumbledore decides that the school needs livening up with a musical, who should be cast as the leading roles of the homosexual couple? Comedy and angst ensue...read and review! Complete! It's slash, btw
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: Not mine. None of it. Probably not even the idea.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, well, this is my first slash, so I'm writing under a different pen name. Anybody wanting a straight story, check out 'Elizabeth Tears'. That's my OTHER name. I couldn't write under that because my friends read my other stories, and well, they are very ANTI slash.  
  
Please no flames on this story, 'cos I KNOW it's not the best, and rather controversial. But if you don't want to read slash, then DON'T, and leave us slash goers alone! =D Anyway, if you DO read, and you're NOT a slash hater, then PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review!  
  
ROMANCE FROM EVERY QUARTER  
  
Dumbledore's eyes glittered mischeviously as he held his hands up to demand silence in the Great hall. Although no one was actually paying attention to the headmaster, all conversation trailed off immediately.  
  
Dumbledore grinned merrily as he thought of the advantage of being a wizard and began to speak.  
  
"As always, welcome back to Hogwarts to the already established students, and a very hearty welcome to the new breed of Ravenclaws, Hufflepuff's, Slytherins and of course Gryffindors!"  
  
He paused a moment for the cheers to die down before continuing.  
  
"To the 1st years, you must remember that the Forbidden Forest is, as its name implied, FORBIDDEN, to EVERYONE, with NO exceptions."  
  
Dumbledore's eyes flicked momentarily to the Marauder's usual table, and gave an almost imperceptible nod to the 4 supposedly non-existent exceptions. His eyes flicked away again, before anyone could notice his momentary distraction.  
  
"There is, however, one piece of new information that I must impart to you."  
  
He watched in amusement as the waning attention of the students returned full force.  
  
"As an initiative of last year's Head Boy and girl, the staff and I have decided to allow you students to put together a ..." He paused a moment for effect. "Play."  
  
There was a confused silence amongst the students in the hall.  
  
"A-A what, sir?" Somebody called from amongst the sea of students.  
  
"A play, Mr Black." Dumbledore replied, smiling. "A dramatic piece, a montage of scenes, a musical. An all singing, all dancing, all acting extravaganza. An event that will change the way you...Oh, yes, Minerva, you're quite right." He whetted his lips and returned to the subject.  
  
"Anybody wishing to be involved, should attend the meeting on Saturday of next week. The parts will be open to any year." He added for good measure. "Good night, everyone."  
  
He sat down and turned his ear to the confused and excited conversations of the students.  
  
"Y'know, I think Dumbledore has finally gone balmy."  
  
"Ah, give it a chance, Padfoot." Remus Lupin said, grinning. "Just because YOU don't know what a play is."  
  
He dodged away from Sirius's retaliatating attack.  
  
"I know what a play is." He said sulkily, crossing his arms and slumping down in his seat.  
  
"Just because you're an ignorant pureblood doesn't mean we don't love ya."  
  
James joined the onversation, slinging his arm casually around Sirius's neck.  
  
How come HE can say that and it means nothing? Remus wondered sourly and got up with the rest of them.

()()()()

Remus cast a hasty glance around and stepped out of the dormitories. Pulling his cloak tight around himself, he stealthily made his way through the common room.  
  
This was where he would face his greatest challenge.  
  
He didn't THINK any of the Marauders were in there. James and Peter had gone to 'tickle the pear' as it were, and Sirius was...doing whatever it was that Sirius did on a Saturday night.  
  
So he was not exactly expecting all 3 of them to be sitting in their usual chairs, playing exploding snap.  
  
They looked up as he entered.  
  
"You going somewhere, Moony?" Sirus asked, raising a suggestive eyebrow.  
  
"No." Remus muttered, and tried to make his way across the room, avoiding further confrontation.  
  
"You look nice, Remus." Peter said politely. He had never quite felt comfortable using their nicknames in public.  
  
"Yeah, you going on a date?" James demanded slyly, grinning.  
  
I will not look at Sirius, I will not look at Sirius. Remus chanted silently, then DAMMIT!  
  
As he sneaked an involuntary glance at his best friend. Sirius was watching interestedly.  
  
Dammit, he doesn't care.  
  
"N-no." He stuttered aloud. "I just thought I might...y'know...like go to that...meeting?" He almost asked, as though asking their permission.  
  
His permission.  
  
Oh good god, they were staring at him.  
  
He felt his cheeks grow warm, and he shifted from foot to foot.  
  
"Well, g'bye, then." He muttered, and made a heroic bust for the portrait hole.

00000

Remus lay back against the wall, panting heavily.  
  
Why did that disturb him so much? He asked himself. Okay, so Sirius was there. Why did that matter?  
  
Because you love him, you nutcase.  
  
The thought rose unbidden into his head.  
  
Shut up! He told it viciously. I do NOT love Sirius! I just...  
  
You want to hug him, you want to kiss him, you want to make him yo-...  
  
"Shut up! Just shut up!" He snapped loudly into the silence and strode purposefully away.  
  
Just then, he heard a voice hailing him back.  
  
"Hey! Remus! Wait up!"  
  
Remus didn't need to turn around to know whose voice that was.  
  
"Sirius?" He asked, pretending he didn't recognize him and turning around. "What are you doing out here?"  
  
Sirius shrugged.  
  
"I thought I might make an appearance at this meeting of yours." He grinned. "Unless you're afraid I'll upstage you."  
  
Remus laughed nervously.  
  
"No, no. Well, c'mon then. Otherwise we're going to be late."  
  
Sirius laughed one of those easy, rolling laughs he was so good at.  
  
"That's my Moony! Never one to be late." He flung his arm heavily around his friend's shoulders.  
  
I wish I WAS your Moony. Remus thought and then hastily blocked the idea.  
  
...But I do NOT want you to take your arm away... 


	2. The real and hopefully working this time...

Disclaimer: Not mine, none of it. Except when I get the information wrong, then it's mine.  
  
0000  
  
Sirius Black leant lazily back in his chair and ran his hand through his hair.  
  
He sighed in annoyance as many of the females present cooed or squealed and tried to pretend they hadn't.  
  
Somebody remind him WHY he was here?  
  
He was here because Remus was here.  
  
And why was Remus here?  
  
Because Remus was what Muggles would call a Drama Club Freak.  
  
Remus seemed to be as enthralled by this meeting as Sirius was bored by it.  
  
He was sitting up alert and attentive, taking down notes, as he had been elected secretary almost the moment he had sat down.  
  
"The play we have been given is called "Romance from every quarter," and has, as Dumbledore promised, singing, dancing and acting."  
  
Annette, chairperson and head girl, read from the notes that Dumbledore had given her.  
  
"What's it about?" Somebody asked.  
  
Annette glared.  
  
"I'm coming to that, Severus." She said pointedly.  
  
Sirius groaned silently.  
  
THAT git was here? Oh, great. This just kept getting better and better.  
  
"The play is about four couples, or potential couples, who interact with one another in a series of highly unlikely situations." Annette quoted directly from the pages in front of her.  
  
"The four couples consist of; a stereotypical 'old married couple,' a budding teenage romance, a stumbling middle age couple and – "Annette choked a little and broke off, before continuing so that nobody knew she'd stumbled. "And a homosexual partnership."  
  
There was a silence, then, as everyone present considered this last couple.  
  
Who was going to play those two parts? This was obviously a romantic comedy; the characters were going to have to kiss. Who was willing to kiss another guy?  
  
All eyes suddenly turned to Severus Snape.  
  
It was well known that Severus' tastes were not exactly orthodox, but would he actually dare to share it so obviously with the entire school?  
  
Before Severus had time to respond to the question, Annette had broken the silence and was continuing on in an embarrassed rush.  
  
"Yes, well. The parts are as follows. Bill and Mary as the married couple, Adella and Eddie as the teenagers, Lucy and Jim as the stumbling middle age couple and Phillip and Tom as the...other couple."  
  
Annette cleared her throat.  
  
"Each of these is a singing, acting and dancing role. There are also parts for primarily singing, dancing and acting. We will also need volunteers for Backstage, Front of house, Lighting and sound as it were, and costume and set design and construction."  
  
"Annette and myself, as head boy and girl, and two members of the faculty will be holding auditions in the Great Hall next Saturday." David, head boy, stood up and said. "Please come to auditions knowing your lines perfectly; you will be able to pick up a portion of the script tomorrow afternoon from each of your house common rooms. Thank you to each of you for your interest; we look forward to seeing each of you at auditions. Good night."  
  
0000  
  
"So, Moony." Sirius said, on the way back to Gryffindor tower. "You thinking of auditioning for any roles?"  
  
Remus shrugged and continued walking.  
  
Sirius jogged a step or two to keep pace and put his hands in his pockets, slouching along beside his moody friend.  
  
0000  
  
The common room was a warm relief in more than one way.  
  
It was cold in the corridors, but Remus had been positively frosty towards Sirius on the walk back.  
  
The other two Marauders looked up as they entered.  
  
"Not waiting up for us, were you, Jamie?" Sirius demanded, grinning, as he clambered through the hole.  
  
James flushed, indicating that they had indeed been waiting for the return of their fellows.  
  
"Well, we were...Oh, hello, Lily!" He cut in brightly, waving to somebody behind them.  
  
Sirius and Remus turned around to see Lily Evans appear through the portrait hole as they had just done.  
  
"We were just talking about the meeting, weren't we, Sirius, Remus?" He winked frantically at them.  
  
Sirius and Remus pretended to look baffled and confused.  
  
"You weren't at the meeting, James." Lily said suspiciously. "How could you be talking about it?"  
  
Remus and Sirius watched in amusement as James fumbled to correct his mistake.  
  
"Uh...well, no, I WASN'T there, because I was...er....doing my homework." He gestured wildly to somebody else's neatly stacked books. "I...ah.... was just getting the notes I asked Remus to take for me."  
  
He looked at Remus pleadingly.  
  
Remus shrugged apologetically, shaking with laughter.  
  
"Sorry, mate. I gave them to Annette. You thinking of auditioning, Lily?" he added, taking pity on James and switching the topic.  
  
Lily nodded and took a seat across from James.  
  
"I wouldn't mind playing Adella." She said earnestly. "You could really get close to someone playing a role like that." She looked meaningfully at James. "Well, good night."  
  
"Remus." James said in a strangled voice when she had left. "WHAT role is she talking about?"  
  
Remus laughed and told James he'd tell him tomorrow, before retreating upstairs.  
  
0000  
  
Remus KNEW which role he wanted to play.  
  
It was the only role he COULD play.  
  
He had perused the script for every character, but he KNEW which role was right for him.  
  
The role of Philip was MADE for him.  
  
It WAS him.  
  
So it should be easy enough to get the role.  
  
But there were two very UNeasy things associated with the part.  
  
Exactly how he explained to his friends that he was going to be playing a homosexual who was in love with his best friend.  
  
Who would he be playing alongside? Who was going to play Tom?  
  
Remus, too, knew about Snivellus and his tastes, and he knew his enemy was going to be auditioning for Tom.  
  
There was only ONE person Remus wanted to be playing alongside...and he thought the whole idea was a joke.  
  
So did he go for the part anyway?  
  
The person he wanted to play alongside was so right for the part, it was unbelievable.  
  
He was charming, witty, funny...and sitting on the arm Remus's chair, looking at the script in his hand.  
  
"You thinking of auditioning?" He asked nonchalantly, picking up Tom's script and flicking through it.  
  
"Sirius!" Remus squeaked, then checked his voice. "Er, yes. Well, no. Yes, I guess. No, absolutely not. Er...I don't know." He concluded.  
  
Sirius raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I suggest you find out soon, Moony." He said, and stood up. "The meeting is tomorrow night.  
  
It wasn't until Remus stopped staring at the door Sirius had left through, that he realized he was missing Tom's script.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE  
  
Yayness! I have reviews! Thank you all so much! And I'm sorry if this chapter is short...I've run out of steam, now, but the reviews made me update much quicker! If you want updates, review! No, seriously, because I have this weird guilt thing happening. I feel awful if it takes me a while to update, so I try to update quickly. Honestly, I do! Okay, responses to reviews below. Yay! Reviews!  
  
Okay, well, I have MORE reviews, and they pointed out to me that my second chapter is either missing, or is the same as the first chapter, and I really have no idea why. Maybe it's because I have a supremely cranky computer, I don't know, but I'll stick it up again and hope that it works. Puzzled look Seriously, something freaky is going on...  
  
casual-bubbles - You think I write well? Blushes Thanks! Here's your chapter!  
  
Ayalone - I love Remus. I stole his character from another story, though. Do you think I should write a disclaimer? The story I got him from is "It don't mean a thing" by LilaStar. Best Remus/Sirius fic in the entire history of Slash Fanfiction! Honestly! Thanks for your review!  
  
prosthetic.ballerina – I really don't understand homophobia, I really don't. My Mum used to date this guy, and he knew I was writing this, whoa, watch out! Thanks for your review!  
  
Legola lu – You've reviewed both my stories, do you realize that? Thanks so much!  
  
silver-sunn101 – Glad you like Remus! shakes head I don't understand people not liking slash, or at least not accepting it. I mean, my friends can understand that I READ it, but if they knew I was writing it...shudders Thanks for review!  
  
goldmund1110 - Blushes I had no idea chapter one was same as chapter two! I can't even find chapter two at ALL when I look. Have no idea what's going on there...Thanks for review, though!  
  
Quick-fix – A play in a wizard school...don't even know where that came from..Anyway, about the writing under two different pennames. I don't mean to be hypocritical. It's just that my friends would completely ostracize me if they knew I was writing slash, as well as reading it. And as much as I like slash, I'm not quite willing to lose friends over it! They can accept that I read it (some of them have read my favourites...a number of slashes in there), but they would NOT like it if they knew I was writing it...sorry if that seems weird. Thanks for your review, though!  
  
Waffle Avenger – After Draco and Hermione, Dumbledore is my favourite character. He reminds me of my Dad sometimes, who's always hiding things and bringing them up at the weirdest times. I loved it in Goblet of Fire when Dumbledore turned all angry on Crouch, that was cool! Sorry, I'll stop gushing about Dumbledore now...Thanks for review!  
  
Tanya J Potter – Thanks for review!  
  
Anonymous () – I have no idea where chapter two went! Looks under desk Hellooooo?! Hope it works this time. Thanks for review! 


	3. fingers crossed that this works properly

DISCLAIMER – Not mine, none of it. Well, except if I make a mistake, then it's mine, but other than that, it's all HERS.  
  
ROMANCE FROM EVERY QUARTER   
  
Sirius leant against the wall and pretended he wasn't in the least bit nervous. It wouldn't do for any first year to see SIRIUS BLACK being nervous. It wouldn't do for ANYONE to see him being nervous.  
  
Besides Moony. Moony could see him nervous, if he really wanted to.  
  
But in truth, Sirius was figuratively shaking in his boots.  
  
Figuratively, because boots were SO not in this season.  
  
He wasn't nervous, really. Sirius decided, he was more...dramatically apprehensive.  
  
He may be the school's most confident teenager, but he had never actually ACTED before.  
  
But here he was, rereading his lines before going into that room to audition for the part of Tom.  
  
Why was he auditioning for a role that would include a lot of acting?  
  
Well...he didn't rightly know himself.  
  
Maybe it was because he had read the script and quickly realized that the role of Tom was made for him, because he WAS Tom.  
  
Or maybe it was because Remus would be playing Phillip.  
  
That was as a disturbing thought as it was a comforting one.  
  
It depended on how you looked at it, really. There were three sides to examine it, Sirius decided.  
  
On the one hand, it was good that Remus would be playing the other half of the couple, because probably the other person he would be acting opposite was Snivellus Snape, and Sirius could think of nothing worse.  
  
But then, on the second hand, was it right for him to want to spend so much time with another male, even if it was his best friend?  
  
On the third hand, it was perfectly normal for friends to spend time together, wasn't it? Besides, he'd be saving REMUS from playing alongside Snape as well.  
  
So that was really four hands, Sirius thought in confused agitation, before the door burst open and the Head Boy David strode out, looking decidedly harried.  
  
"Black!" He called sharply. "Sirius Black!"  
  
Sirius stood up quickly. The way David looked, if he didn't show himself soon, he was going to miss his opportunity.  
  
"Hey, David." He said casually, flashing a smile. "You look tired."  
  
David flashed a grateful but miffed look.  
  
"You have no idea." He said with feeling, and let Sirius inside the hall.  
  
There he was confronted with the sight of Dumbledore, Annette and McGonogall sitting dominatingly on a long, thin table in the middle of the hall.  
  
David followed Sirius into the hall and took his seat beside Annette.  
  
"Soooo." David said, leaning back in his seat. "You intend to play the part of Tom, do you?"  
  
Sirius nodded and grinned.  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"Well, let's get right into it, then." Professor McGonogal cut in briskly. "Annette will read the lines of your partner, Phillip. Are you ready?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am." Sirius grinned disarmingly.  
  
"This is Act 3 Scene 6." Annette began. "Ah, Tom! There you are! I've been looking for you."  
  
"Really Phillip?" Sirius asked, looking up suddenly, and talking to any imaginary Remus ... er Phillip. "Why would you be searching for lil'ole me?"  
  
"Because," Annette replied. "I need you."  
  
Sirius quirked up an eyebrow, and fixed Annette/Remus/Phillip with a look.  
  
"Really? And what kind of need would that be?"  
  
"My broom is malfunctioning." Annette intoned. "You're the only person I know who can make it rise."  
  
"Having problems making your broom rise, are you?" Sirius mused, rubbing his chin. "Well, that sounds serious."  
  
If Sirius didn't know that Annette was acting, he would swear she was blushing.  
  
All in all, Remus thought, the audition went very well.  
  
Dumbledore had smiled merrily as he had left, and said he had a good chance of getting the part.  
  
But then...Dumbledore always grinned merrily, and his only competition WAS Severus, so he had half a chance. 50/50. That wasn't bad.  
  
It all came down to the image they were looking to present. If they wanted a sleazy, oily character, they would cast Severus, but if they wanted the sweeter, nice, clean character, which could carry off insinuation well, then they would cast Remus.  
  
Walking past the Great Hall later on that day, Remus was astonished to find himself almost running straight into Sirius. He was entirely too close to him, and close proximity was not a good thing, when Sirius was concerned.  
  
Well, it was, if you looked at it from the other way.  
  
Which I'm not going to do! Remus reprimanded himself.  
  
"Sirius!" He said heartily, perhaps too heartily, as Sirius looked decided flustered. "What are you doing?"  
  
Was that...was Sirius Black ... BLUSHING?  
  
"Er...nothing." Sirius said. "I was just...I was going...to the library!" He covered, catching sight of Remus's book bag.  
  
Remus raised an eyebrow.  
  
"YOU'RE going to the library? Sirius, when have you ever willingly gone to the library?"  
  
"Er...since...since...since I remembered that we're Seventh years now, we're allowed in the Restricted Section!" He said triumphantly.  
  
Yes, that sounded like Sirius. Remus thought fondly.  
  
"Well, come on then." He said, hoisting the bag on his shoulder, and heading off in the direction of the library. "You can do that while I do my Arithmancy homework."  
  
Sirius grimaced inwardly, and found himself following Remus down the relatively unknown corridor towards the Library.  
  
But there was an upside to being stuck in the library.  
  
Two upsides, in fact.  
  
Both beginning with R.  
  
Remus and Restricted Section.  
  
I did not just think of Remus as an upside. Sirius admonished. And I did NOT, I repeat, NOT just think in such a corny one liner. If this is what the play is going to do to me, I am not playing the part. Oh, god, there I go again.  
  
"Do you think you'll get the part?" He asked Remus, to bring his thoughts away from his disturbing one liner thoughts. Dammit!  
  
"I don't know." Remus said honestly, frowning.  
  
Oh, great, now I've made him frown. Sirius thought.  
  
"Oh, sure you will, Moony!" He said boisterously. "I don't know anyone who was better for the part."  
  
Remus looked slyly at him.  
  
"You think I play the part of a homosexual in love with his best friend very well?"  
  
Oh dammit.  
  
"Er...that's not what I meant." Sirius fumbled. Then realized Remus was taking the mikky out of him. "Oi, you!"  
  
He cuffed his friend over the head, and hastily bewitched his book bag to rip spontaneously every time Remus healed the tear.  
  
Life was good.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE  
  
Pants heavily There. I did it. That was written especially because I got so many reviews!!! I couldn't believe it. I didn't think I would get so many when I started writing slash. In fact...I think, in the short time this has been up, that I've had more reviews on this than my other, THANKS SO MUCH! I got onto hotmail from school, and I'm going around showing people my reviews. They were quite amused, because usually I'm very quiet. Say, for the record, was McGonogall even a Professor at school the same time as the Marauder's? Anyway, I'm HOPING that my chapters have managed to ort themselves out, and I think that chapters one and two are the same, but I can't do anything about that now...can I? Anyway, review responses! (Because I have reviews to respond to!)  
  
HETERA – I know! I can't understand the weird chapter thing, but I think it's fixed. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
SAMMYBLACK80 – I'm glad you like it! Thanks for reviewing!  
  
BLACKPAWS22 – Lol, that good is it? Glad you think it's good. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
MORBID – Very interesting name! Thanks for your review!  
  
ANGELOFSOUL – Sorry about the thoughts in italics thing. Usually I do that, but for some crazy reason, whenever I use italics, it doesn't show up in fanfiction format. Oh, well, I tried again this time, and I'll try saving it as a HTML document. Thanks for your review!  
  
LILASTAR – I am so honoured that you read my story! No, seriously, 'cos I think "It don't mean a thing" is THE best story in THE entire world! I swear it's my favourite fanfic full stop. And your Remus is exactly the way I think Remus should be, and if that's you, then you're Remus! Does that make sense? Anyway, thanks SO much for reading!  
  
IVY CRANE – Oh, my, do you know how much your name made me laugh? I don't know if it's your name (so sorry if it is!) or if it's the same Ivy Crane I'm thinking of, but oh gosh it cracked me up. It reminds me of Ivy Crane from this crazy tv show Passions, sorry, I had to say that! Thanks SOOO much for reviewing!  
  
QUICK-FIX – I'm so glad you like the second chapter as well! Ugh, can you imagine Severus as Tom? It would be so weird. Anyway, sorry if I sounded like I was angry with you before. You're right, it probably was kind of hypocritical, but I didn't see that the first time. Thanks so much for reviewing!  
  
AFFECTED MANGO – Very interesting name! Why'd I update twice? I have no idea what happened, seriously. Something crazy happened with the fanfic, and updating and stuff, so I don't know. Thanks for reviewing! It's your review that made me update, did you know? Thanks! 


	4. We are all going to ignore that crazy do...

DISCLAIMER : Nope, not mine. None of it. Unless I make a mistake, then it's mine. Other than that, it's all HERS evil glares  
  
Every day the drama hopefuls would check the noticeboard outside the Great hall, cross their fingers and then slump away dejectedly when they realized the lists weren't up yet.  
  
It was the hottest topic in the hallways; who was going to play who, AND, most importantly, who was going to play ... you know...THAT couple.  
  
Remus and Sirius both tried to pretend that they were NOT, in fact, in ANY way interested in the outcome of the auditions. No, they were simply pushing and pulling and shoving and knocking their way to the front of the crowd every day so that they were the first people to know so that they could tell everyone else. Yes, that most certainly was it.  
  
But they, like everyone else, had to wait until Dumbledore announced that the lists would be up after Supper one evening.  
  
The entire hall was suddenly silent.  
  
Sirius and Remus purposely avoided eye contact with each other, and looked down at their plates. Because, of course, they didn't care.  
  
No more eating was done in the great hall after that announcement, and Dumbledore, sensing this, dismissed them early.  
  
Sirius and Remus found themselves huddling together (no, not together, just thrown coincidentally together in a very near proximity to each other) under the table in an attempt to avoid the sudden rush of people that had graduated towards the noticeboard.  
  
They looked up from the gaps in the seats to see thousands of pairs of legs suddenly rushing past their hiding place, and they clapped their hands over their ears to shield them from the noise of clogs, slippers, joggers, heels, boots and sandals pounding on the ground in the mad dash towards the noticeboard.  
  
The herd of cattle slowly quietened down, and the two Marauders cautiously took their hands from their ears, and grinned wryly at each other.  
  
"It's not as though they're declaring OWL levels or anything." Remus said, frowning.  
  
"No." Sirius agreed. "I don't care, frankly."  
  
There was silence under the table for a minute, as two pairs of eyes wandered to everything from the Fizzing Whisbies stuck on the underside of the table, to the spare cutlery that had fallen to the floor in the rush.  
  
Then, without warning, the two boys sprang from their crouched perches under the table, and catapulted their way up over the chairs and down the isles.  
  
Remus was slightly ahead of Sirius until Sirius grabbed on to the back of his robes, and forcefully dragged him back a few steps.  
  
Remus let out a very UNwerewolf like squeal, and lost his balance, toppling over and down to the floor.  
  
Laughing so hard it was hard to breathe, he called on his reflexes, and sprung up quicker than Sirius had anticipated. Growling, Remus lunged forward, and wrapped his arms around Sirius' legs, bringing him to the floor as well.  
  
Quite suddenly, Remus found himself lying almost astride Sirius, his face bearing down on him. Their faces were only inches apart, and Remus could hear both of their laboured breathings.  
  
An intense moment passed between the two, as golden eyes stared into blue (A/N are those colours right?), and werewolf contemplated shaggy dog. Remus's breathing caught in his throat, and his cheeks coloured slightly.  
  
"Remus..." Sirius breathed, feeling something squirm and fizzle in his stomach.  
  
Sirius's voice broke the trance, and Remus came to his senses. He sprang off Sirius quicker than he could shoot off a hex on Snivellus.  
  
Sirius rolled to his feet, and ran his hand through his hair. There was an amazingly awkward silence, and both boys found that the floor was a VERY interesting landmark.  
  
"Race you to the lists." Remus suggested softly, and blinked as suddenly Sirius was gone.  
  
Sirius chose not to dwell on THE moment as he sprinted to the lists, successfully avoiding Remus.  
  
Chose not to dwell on it, that is, except for berating himself firmly for finding himself in such a compromising position with his best friend.  
  
And what, WHAT possessed him to whisper his name like that? That's the sort of thing that happens in romance novels. Not the floor of bloody Hogwarts!  
  
By this time, however, he had reached the lists, and was staring avidly at them, without actually taking anything in.  
  
He dimly managed to register that JAMES had somehow auditioned without anyone knowing about it, and had managed to acquire the role of Eddie, Lily's boyfriend, before Remus caught up with him.  
  
He tried not to flinch away as the other boy's breath caught on his neck, creating Goosebumps he hoped couldn't be seen.  
  
"So..." Remus began. "Who got what?"  
  
"James got Eddie, can you believe? Lily, of course, is Adella..." Sirius said quickly, realizing he was both babbling and stalling, and hating himself for it.  
  
"Well, I figured that." Remus said, in impatient amusement. "What about Tom and Philip?"  
  
"I'm coming to that!" Sirius snapped, nervousness making him irritable.  
  
He hastily scanned the lists.  
  
"Philip is...you, Remus!" He exclaimed, turning to face his friend. "You did it, Remy!"  
  
Oh, god, I did not just call him Remy.  
  
Remus himself was looking amazed and bewildered, although Sirius wasn't sure if this was because he was surprised at getting the role, or because Sirius had just called him Remy.  
  
Remus frowned.  
  
"Who got Tom? PLEASE tell me it isn't Severus. I think I shall hex myself before I play alongside him."  
  
Sirius laughed a little nervously and returned his attention to the lists.  
  
He placed a shaking (damn, could Remus see that?) finger onto the noticeboard, scrolling down the lists.  
  
"There." He said, swallowing. "Tom is...me."  
  
There was silence from Remus, and Sirius kept his gaze fixed firmly on the wall.  
  
If watches worked in Hogwarts, Sirius was sure he would have been able to hear the tick of the quartz.  
  
"Well..." Remus said finally, again the one to break the silence. "At least it's not Severus."  
  
Oh, and what the bloody hell was that supposed to mean?  
  
Was that...disappointment Sirius could hear in Remus's voice? There was no way he could actually want to act with Severus.  
  
"I suppose we'd better get to bed." Sirius said dully.  
  
No, he was NOT trying not to cry, thank you very much little – voice - inside - his - head - that - always - appeared – to – be – right – even - when – it - CLEARLY - was - not.  
  
"Yeah." Remus echoed. "I suppose we had."  
  
Neither of them made any attempt to move, and the terrible, heavy silence dragged forever on.  
  
"Sirius..." Remus said quietly. "I...I'm glad it's you."  
  
Sirius paused a moment to receive this information properly, before spinning around so sharply his robe swung out behind him.  
  
But he turned to face an empty corridor.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES  
  
Wowness! I can't believe it! Last check, I had 33 reviews, I absolutely can not believe it! I have 56 reviews on a story on Fictionpress, and that's 21 chapters long, and been going for a few months; this has been going for a few weeks and already has 3 3 ! I am so ecstatically overwhelmed! But see, I told you, the more reviews, the quicker I update. No, seriously, because I was in this HUGE rut with this story, and I read through my reviews today, and I was like 'gee, I really have to update' so I sat down to write, and it all came out! Thankyou SO much!  
  
See, I have this really bad habit of having ideas for stories, starting them, posting them, and then not finishing. I hate it, but more reviews = more ideas!  
  
Sorry it's short though; I mustn't have had enough reviews! =D  
  
Responses to reviews here, because I HAVE reviews to respond to! Yayness! Thanks again, and don't ask me where the idea for the chase in the hall came from. I have no idea.  
  
Ciao,  
  
Lizzy =D  
  
Spootasia Tomoe – Cuteness is goodness, right? Thanks for reviewing! =D  
  
Grimy Grunhilda Grunt - WHAT a NAME! Thank you SO much for your reviews! I think it totally ROCKS that you're Swedish, but that could be 'cos my favourite band is ABBA. (Seriously, it is.) People find it crazy 'cos I'm Australian, but Swedish is SO cool! =D My name is actually the truth, do you believe it? I really don't like Harry Potter. I mean, I did, until it got all hyped up with the movies and stuff. I blame it on my friend – who – shall – remain – nameless (she knows who she is if she ever, which I SINCERELY hope she doesn't, read this) because SHE'S the one who got me hooked on fanfic. Thanks heaps again for reviewing! Hugs  
  
Sylvia Sylverton – This is my continuation, just for you guys! Thanks so much!  
  
AffectedMangoO – Oh, I would never abandon fanfic! faints in horror Especially Sirius/Remus. I am addicted, and we all know who's fault THAT is "Lilastar" cough "Lilastar" I'm glad you like how I write this. It's like a whole combination of every style I've ever read. Thanks heaps!  
  
HETERA – Ah, how special are you? You get capitals 'cos I didn't have to copy and paste yours! Yah, I seriously don't know what happened when I uploaded those chapters, but hey, it's all good now, right?! Thanks!  
  
IVY CRANE – Oh! So it IS from Passions! I used to love that show. My brother and I used to trade gossip about it, and one of my friends went to America for a few months, and they're like heaps ahead (wait, are you American?) and so she told us what was going to happen. I can't believe Ivy's in a wheelchair, it's weird. She was one of my favourites 'cos she was so calm! Although she drove me crazy speaking to that locket all the time. Anyway! I've bored you and babbled on about Passions long enough, so I'm gonna go. Thanks SO much!  
  
Hey! Now I know I've forgotten people, and I am SO sorry, but see, what happened was, I went to my Dad's, who will only let me into hotmail for like 5 seconds, so I read reviews, and deleted them 'cos I had no space in my account for anything else. So anyway, I then lost them, and now I"ve forgotten which ones I've done and which I haven't! Let's just leave it all at ; THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING, YOU REALLY MAKE MY DAY, AND IT REALLY DOES MAKE ME WRITE FASTER!!  
  
Lizzy =P 


	5. The first rehearsal

DISCLAIMER : Nope, not mine. None of it. Unless I make a mistake, then it's mine. Which I am probably highly likely to do.

PREMATURE AUTHOR'S NOTE

Just to let people know who actually get this far in the story and haven't read the other Author's Notes, for some CRAZY pyscotic reason, my first and third (I think) chapters are the same. I have NO idea why; fanfic just went haywire on me. So yeah, that's basically all I wanted to say! Ciao!

IDELHP

So.

Remus couldn't get past that.

So.

So he was playing the part of Phillip.

So Sirius was playing the part of Tom.

So both of them were already receiving strange glances in the hallways.

So here they were at their first rehearsal.

So they were just staring at each other.

So I'm in love with my best friend.

Scratch that. Remus added hurriedly. I bloody well am not! Oh, Merlin, that didn't even make sense, did it? Damn. Sirius is NOT affecting my ability to think straight, he told himself severely. He is just...presently occupying my thoughts at the moment because we're in rehearsal. And because he's handsome...and because he's charming...and because he's funny...and because...oh damn he's smiling at me again. I wish he wouldn't do that...he always makes me smile back...

I should probably do something, shouldn't I? But what? He just keeps staring at me...

"What ARE you staring at, Padfoot?" He demanded sharply.

Sirius grinned.

"You." He said simply.

Remus frowned, although he had to fight valiantly against feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

"And why in HOGWARTS would you be staring at me?"

"Mmm, because you're staring at me?" Sirius replied, GRINNING again.

"I am not!" Remus exclaimed, colouring.

"Yes you are." Sirius confirmed pleasantly. "You have been staring at me for the past few minutes. Licking your lips occasionally, I might add."

"I have not!" Remus squeaked.

Damn, I did NOT just squeak.

Sirius grinned...AGAIN, dammit.

"That's okay, Moony. I forgive you. But you should realize that I intend to find out how it is."

"Er...who WHO is?" Remus asked cautiously.

Dammit, I wish he would STOP that.

"Who the girl is that you're thinking about."

Remus choked on nothing.

"What?!" He croaked.

Sirius thumped him thoughtfully on the back.

"Well, I have tried, but I can't think of any other reason why you would be staring at me and licking your lips." He answered. "Unless of course ... "He thought for a moment. "No, it's not that time of the month."

Remus was still busily choking.

"W-water!" He gasped.

Sirius ignored his hoarse pleas.

"I just can't think who it would be. I mean, I've never seen you even look TWICE at a girl, unless she offered you her Herbology notes. Not that there isn't a lot of talent around this place. You would think," he added thoughtfully, "that these drab, shapeless robes would quite prohibit a girl from looking like anything but a robe with legs, but they manage it, they really do."

Remus had stopped choking by this time, and was looking at Sirius with a blatantly horrified look in his eyes.

"Please don't keep talking." He whispered almost inaudibly.

Sirius, as usual, ignored him.

"English girls must be THE sexiest beings on this planet." He said. "Although that exchange student from Durmstrang has good legs, and Briney from America has the biggest pair of...Really, Remus, what was that for?"

Sirius was now looking at Remus as though he had sprouted tentacles, wings and announced that he wanted to be called the Tentawinged thing.

"I told you to shut up." Remus said mildly, and casually looked down at his script.

Sirius watched him for a moment, before unhexing himself and casting his eyes down to his own script.

"Philip! Oh, Philip!" Sirius carolled, capering around onstage as though he were seeking someone very far away.

Remus appeared on stage from the wings of the Proscenium arch.

(A/N I'll put a glossary in at the end of this chapter)

"Tom! I do wish you wouldn't shout so loud. The people at number Forty Two keep thinking we're murdering each other. What do you want me for, anyway?"

Sirius cast a thoughtful look to the audience that implied there were MANY things he wanted Philip for.

"Oh, I have a problem." He said allusively, taking Philip by the arm and leading him to the Apron of the stage. "You see, I'm in love."

Remus's face fell dramatically when he heard this. He ignored the sympathetic sighs from the audience of 3 and tried desperately to remember his next line.

"Oh, really?" He adlibbed, forgetting it altogether. "Er...who is it?"

Sirius's eyes twinkled as he realized Remus had lost the plot.

"Well..." he said slyly, winding his way around the stage to throw himself down dramatically on one of the large green chairs that made up their living room. "It's somebody I've known a long time."

Remus stared desperately out into the audience, beseeching them for help. There was unresponsive silence.

"Mm? How long?" He said.

"Oh," Sirius looked at his perfectly manicured fingernails. "A few...er...decades, I suppose."

"Gracious goodness me!" Remus stuttered, and flushed. "Or even goodness gracious me!" He covered in the style of comedians, flashing a look to the audience. "That is a landmark time."

"Yes, quite." Sirius replied. "It's simply awful."

Remus lifted an eyebrow.

"Oh, really?" He asked interestedly. "Should it not be a wonderful experience?"

Sirius stage-sighed.

"Well, it would be." He began, picking up a novelty photo frame and staring at the blank picture inside. "Except that the other person doesn't love me."

"Oh, really?" Remus said again.

Mental note to self, stop saying oh really.

"No." Sirius shook his head. "The other person is quite oblivious to the fact. But you're right, it's a wonderful feeling."

He stood up, and did that mincing walk thing he did, and came far too close to Remus.

"I get this most terrific pounding in my chest." He said softly, beginning to circle Remus, who was standing in the middle of the stage. "My stomach starts to squirm as though there is 100 flobberworms in there. Not nice... Then my breathing gets erradic." He husked, looking Remus in the eye, moving closer still.

Remus's own breathing was coming in short, sharp bursts by now. His heart was beating like the figurative brass band, and his own flobberworms had woken up.

Mental note to self, LEARN LINES, he thought desperately to himself.

He could (figuratively speaking, of course) have kissed Dumbledore when he suddenly stood up and announced that rehearsal was over for today, and he hoped they knew their lines better for next time.

Sirius's Black's heart was beating entirely too fast for his liking.

He stood in the wings after the scene when Remus had forgotten his lines, and was busily berating himself (as he seemed to do a lot these days) for acting so seductive towards Remus.

Maybe I was just in character? He asked himself desperately. Maybe I was just feeling with Tom was feeling?

Yeah, or maybe not.

Sirius sighed.

He was only a few months in to his 7th year, and it was already his hardest year yet. The school work wasn't hard or anything, pfft, no, that was easy as it usually was. No, the problem lay with his er...feelings.

Sirius had always been the lady's man of the school. It was the way it was supposed to be. Nothing ever happened to jeapordize that. He was sure it was written down somewhere in Dumbledore's lists of unbreakable school rules.

Right there, number 4269.

"Sirius Black shall always be the sexiest, most charming boy in the entire school. He shall always be swooned after by women, and be able to have any girl he desires."

But it didn't seem right this year.

Oh, he was still the sexiest, most charming boy in the entire school, that was no problem. The thing was, that he didn't care anymore. He didn't CARE that girls kept throwing themselves at his feet. He didn't CARE that every day 100 owls came to his seat and brought assorted treats and scented cards to him. He didn't even care that Penelope Sterling had tattoed his name on her...er...derriere.

Someone had broken rule 4269.

He toyed with the idea of handing out a detention to the culprit, but dismissed it when he realized Remus would probably castrate him for it.

Remus.

There was one thing that Sirius still cared about.

Remus, with his endearingly too-long hair, his golden eyes and his lopsided smile.

Oh bugger. Sirius thought.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

It's another short one, isn't it? hides behind computer desk PLEASE don't sue me! I'm kind of stuck, that's all. As you can probably tell by the fact that this chapter is possibly my WORST chapter in the history of BAD AWFUL, TERRIBLE chapters. I am not proud of it at all.

Anyway! Reviewness! I have reviews! Honestly, you don't know the buzz it gives me to sign in to only to find that I have like 11 reviews all at once! Say, feel free to e-mail me about anything, if you like.

Anyway, responsesness! (Sorry, I like adding 'ness' to the end of everything.)

HETERA – Oh, you're on vacation? That is SO cool! Wish I was on vacation. I'm at school, still. Well, again. We only have 5 weeks left, though! Yayness! But we never go on vacation anyway. Where'd you go? Glad you're reading and liking! Thanks!

IVY CRANE – Woah! Ivy's out of her wheelchair? I can't even remember how she got IN it! OMG SHE AND SAM ARE TOGETHER? How on earth did that happen? I think I need to watch it. Although you're ahead (lucky). Eve's past came out? Oh, goodness gracious! What are people going to say? Lizzy :D

DDRAIGCOCH – Woah, cool name! Glad you like Remus. He's stolen from Lilastar, who says Remus is actually her, so you like Lilastar! Lol. Yeah, sorry about that chapter one and three thing...dunno what happened. Fanfic went crazy. Thanks for review!

J BOOGIE – Sirus's eyes are grey; okay, I'll keep that in mind! =D What does W/E mean? Sorry, I'm a little slow...Thanks for reviewing!

RIN THE KITSUME – You really think I deserve reviews? Hugs Thanks!

THE GOLDEN SHADOW - LAUGHS I guess it must have been good, then! Thanks for review!

ICKLE RONNIE – I think your English is very good; I understood perfectly. What nationality are you? Thanks for reviewing!

TOSHIDE – Sorry, this chapter is short, too, but I WILL work at making them longer, I promise. Just sometimes I Get SOOOOOO stuck that I can't write anymore, and I have to keep posting otherwise I get no reviews, and that means no inspiration, which means no chapters, which means no reviews...and it just goes round in circles! Thanks for review! =D

AFFECTEDMANGO0 – Yeah, I updated! Sorry it's short, though. Rehearsals are going to get very interesting. This one sucked because I'm not IN any rehearsals at the moment, so I've forgotten the atmosphere, but I will next month, so it'll be all good. Thanks for reviewing!

RUEMJA – Sorry, is that spelling right? Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

GRIMY GRUNHILDA GRUNT – Saving the best till last! My favourite reviewer! Yes, abba is my life, just about! I love them to pieces. 7 c.d's and going strong! What? You were cleaning your teeth while reading fanfic? Hey, that's a good idea, actually...It doesn't sound 'marmelade' about the 3 HP worlds; I think it make perfect sense; especially 'cos I don't like the MovieWorld. I love how you quote your favourite line; helps me to know what you think is funny; although I think you might have trouble finding a good line in this chapter...not my best. I LOVE Greek mythology; we're studying that in Ancient History right now. I love Athena best. Lol, Helen of Troy, she bugs me actually. I can never decide if she WANTED to go with Paris or not. Shrugs Oh, well. THANKS SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING!

LIZZY =D

Oh, myness! I almost forgot the glossary! I'm sitting here in the QuickEdit/Preview thing, typing this because I forgot.

**PROSCENIUM - **I can't spell, but that's the traditional style of stage, with the triangular shaped stage, and the side wings, and the mirror at the back and stairs down the side.

**APRON - **The apron of the stage is just the very front of the stage, right on the very ledge.

**WINGS -** The side bits where the curtains are.

**LX 1,2,3 LIGHTING BARS -** Not in this chapter, but will be in later, probably. They're the overhead lighting bars where the different lights sit.

**PC LANTERN, FRESNEL AND PROFILE SPOT -** Just different kinds of theatre lights.

**GOBO - **It's the wierdest name, but it's just a wafer thin piece of metal that has a shape cut out of it. When you shine a Profile Spot or Fresnel (pronounced frenel) through it, the light comes onto the stage in that shape.

Okay, I think that's all there is at this moment in time, but if I start in on the technical language again in later chapters, I'll put another glossary in, okay?

Cheers,

lizzy =D


	6. The last chapter

DISCLAIMER : Nope, not mine. Any of it. Unless I get things wrong, then it's mine...which I am almost certain to do...

APOLOGY AND WARNING: Erm, okay, apology and warning because this is the last chapter. Ever. Sorries very much, but well, yeah. Anyway, hope you enjoy it anyway!

Classes went on as usual at Hogwarts, although the cast of 'Romance from every quarter' had been dubbed the 'Acting Quo' of the school, and a special excuse had been devised to explain the participating actor's absences from class.

Sirius and Remus were the head of this 'Acting Quo', namely because they played the part of the controversial homosexual couple, and because they lapped up the attention eagerly.

Instead of hiding away and pretending they didn't have anything to do with the performance at all, they took to sending each other blatantly smouldering glances across the classrooms (not entirely half hearted or simulated either), showering each other with honeyed terms such as 'Sugarplum' and Sirius's personal favourite 'Schnookums,' and fawning over each other eg walking around the halls with their arms slung around each other (not that either of them exactly _minded...)_

Remus made a special effort to remember his lines after his uncomfortable experience at their first rehearsal, and Sirius almost pouted every time a rehearsal ended and he hadn't had a chance to adlib and make Remus as nervy as he had last time.

In fact, Sirius thought, Remus had been entirely too jumpy. It wasn't exactly as though he should go all hot under the collar when his best friend tried to seduce him. James certainly wouldn't have. But then...Remus _wasn't_ like James, had never _been_ James, and hopefully was never going to _be_ James.

_What does Remus think of _me_, pulling moves like that on him?_ Sirius pondered, trying very hard not to stare at his counterpart. _Why _did_ I pull moves on him like that?_

He didn't know the answer, but he had to smother a grin as he remembered Remus's panicked look as he, Sirius, had circled him, speaking in his 'girl catching' voice.

Say, thinking of James, where _was_ he? True, he was religiously late for almost every rehearsal, but this was _ridiculous. _Sirius tapped his foot on the ground and looked around the rehearsal room, searching for a flash of messy black hair.

He frowned when he found none, but then grinned as a flash of smooth red hair confronted his searching eyes, and as sure as sure can be (wait, did that make sense?) messy black hair followed.

James and Lily had certainly grown slightly closer to each other during this time of one on one rehearsal. Sirius almost envied him.

_But I could _have_ a girl, if I wanted one_. He reminded himself, and purposely avoided looking at Remus, who was bent over his script, feverishly learning his lines.

_I have just decided to give the female population a little break, and give the male population a chance to have some fun._ He decided decisively and crossed his arms.

"Padfoot?" Remus's voice broke through Sirius's thoughtful reverie.

"Er...yes?" He queried, hoping Remus hadn't been talking for long.

"It's time for our scene." Remus said gently, eyeing Sirius in concern. "Are you okay? You've been kind of...quiet since we started the play."

"Fine, fine!" Sirius covered hastily. "Let's just...let's just get up there, alright?"

Damn, I've really got to learn to multi-task...he mused and hoped Remus hadn't noticed his lapse.

Okay, so well, alright. It wasn't exactly _unusual_ for him to so ... well ... _interested_ in his best friend...was it? It happened all the time...didn't it?

Remus was used to the unusual. He was both a wizard and a werewolf; it didn't _get_ a lot more unusual than that. But where did unusual stop and the extraordinarily freakishly bizarre begin? Remus had the idea that he was teetering extremely close to the edge and he wished he had some way to yank him back to reality.

He did _not_ just have that thought about 'something' being tall, dark, handsome and in the form of Sirius Black.

Throwing his quill down in exasperation, Remus leant back in his chair and stretched. Glaring at his Charms homework, he wondered how he was going to be able to finish if his thoughts kept drifting.

His life, at that present moment was an unusual (dammit, there's that word again) mix of good and bad, great and terrible, fantastic and abysmal.

There was already only three weeks until the play was set to go off. Good thing.

There was also three weeks until full moon. Bad thing.

With rehearsals being so hurried and the show fast approaching, Remus and Sirius were working very closely together. Great thing.

Working so closely with Sirius meant lots of time alone together. Terrible thing, considering.

What he was feeling about Sirius felt good in a guilty, confused sort of way. Fantastic thing.

Sirius didn't feel anything back. Abysmal thing.

And on top of it all, he had bloody rehearsal in a few...erm...seconds!

Yes, well, alright, ah, herm.

Sirius thought intelligently, staring up at the ceiling. There wasn't a lot to see. Nor was there if he turned to his side; it was curtains for him. He wondered if the squeaking of the bed was loud enough to alert his dorm mates to the fact that he was awake. He thought it was too much to ask that someone come and distract him from thought he had no right to be having. And it was even MORE to ask that the person he was thinking of be the one to distract him.

Damn, curtains again.

Remus is my friend! Sirius exclaimed silently, squeezing his eyes shut. He is not pondering the possibility of...anything with me. He has a crush on somebody else, remember, and that somebody is not you!

I don't _want_ it to be me! Sirius said savagely to himself. I'm not...that way inclined! Is that what's bothering you? If Remus was a girl, would you...

That was a singularly most horrifying thought.

Sirius mentally cut himself off before he could finish the thought. Unfortunately, it was his own darn mind and he _knew_ what he was going to think. The bed groaned again as he heaved himself onto his back again.

You simply cannot be thinking these things! Sirius groaned to himself. It's depriving you of sleep and a Pepper-up Potion isn't going to do you any good if you don't have any pepper to pepper up!

Oh, Merlin, that didn't even make sense!

Look, Sirius tried logically, you need sleep, and if you don't get it, you are going to find yourself with unattractive circles under your eyes. He grimaced at the thought and turned over to go to sleep once and for all.

Only it didn't work.

Punching his pillow in exasperation, he sat up desperately and flung back the curtains, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Gazing into the inky blackness, he cast his eyes around the room, he wondered at the others' ability to sleep when he was feeling so turbulent.

School rule #159 - When Sirius Black is upset, somebody must be there to comfort him and bring him hot chocolate and tell him he is sexy.

It seemed to be a good year for breaking rules.

Sirius's eyes fell onto the serenely silent curtains directly across from him, where Remus was sleeping soundly, undisturbed by unconventional thought about his best friend.

As he looked forlornly at Remus's curtains, a sudden stroke of inspiration hit him and he stood up slowly, careful to make no noise. Sneaking across the room, he crouched next to Remus's orderly trunk and stealthily cracked it open.

Just as he had expected, there was a tiny vial of sleepless dream potion nestled in amongst Remus's socks and spellbooks. It reminded Sirius that the full moon was not far away, and that he was going to owe Moony a vial of potion. Right at that moment, however, he thought that he needed the help far more than Remus did.

Stealing a guilty look at the closed bed hangings, he crept back to bed with his prize and sat there, harbouring his little secret. Remus won't mind. He told himself forcefully, staring at the tiny crystal container. He appreciates what it's like not to be able to sleep.

Before he could think better of it, he flipped the tiny lid off and drunk the thick tasting liquid down in a gulp and lay back on the pillows, waiting for the mixture to take effect.

Remus heard Sirius get up. He heard him open his trunk and slip back into bed. He heard him fall back into the pillows as the potion took effect. After all, Remus had left the strongest potion 'lying around' on purpose.

Yes, Remus knew that Sirius was having trouble sleeping.

To someone to whom insomnia was a common occurrence, the signs were easy to identify.

He didn't know why Sirius wasn't sleeping. Probably a girl had rejected him. Then Remus reconsidered. No girl in Hogwarts had ever rejected Sirius. Hell, he wouldn't, if offered, either. Remus sighed and listened to Sirius.

Creaking bed, sighing, muttering, shaking curtains and sounds of thumping back on the bed were something Remus identified with. So he did what he could to ensure that Sirius had a good night sleep.

Although he could have done with one as well.

The topic of Sirius was keeping him awake in a way that he was decidedly uneasy about. If he could just admit that he ... erm...feltsomethingforSiriusthatherealllyshouldn't, then maybe the problem would go away with acknowledgement.

But Remus was not going to admit...that.

He had never intended to ... y'know, like his best friend, and he wasn't going to let his vow go now. He was going to pretend he wasn't in the least bit perturbed when Sirius grinned at him, or slung his arm around his waist as part of their plan to drive Hogwarts crazy with innuendoes.

So there.

Damn, morning was still so far away...

Well, this was it. Their last rehearsal before the big night. (A/N Sorry about the huge time jump thing, but this fic isn't really going anywhere, so I wanted to finish it. Sorry!)

Remus and Sirius weren't nervous...except maybe a little bit. But only for the other person. Not for themselves.

The backstage dressing room that had been hastily erected by magic was more than slightly crowded, and Remus, already tetchy and snappish because it was the full moon that night, was finding it decidedly hard to be nice to people and breathe at the same time.

He was in his costume as Philip, which was luckily an open fronted shirt that had a collar that was permanently undone. It added to Philip's tousled look.

Breathing somewhat heavily, Remus found himself trapped in a corner, surveying everyone rushing about with a panicky, frantic look in his eyes. Not nice.

Glancing madly about, he saw a break in the stream of people and made for it, dashing through the crowd as though he was in a tremendous hurry. Which he was; a tremendous hurry to get out of the room full of people.

It wasn't being confined that he was afraid of; it was being confined with SO MANY PEOPLE. Although he was a popular Marauder, he had never liked people especially, and avoided them whenever he could. The only time he became the confident joker that people associated with him, was when he was around Sirius, because Sirius made everything right. He made everything easy.

Flopping back against a costume cupboard, Remus took some deep breaths to calm himself and suddenly found himself careening backwards through the wooden doors of the cupboard he had thought was entirely stable.

Landing with a thump, he looked around himself in surprise. The cupboard wasn't actually all that full. There were a few shirts hanging on hangers that Remus identified as Sirius's costumes (Tom had a penchant for clothes), but apart from that, the cupboard was empty.

Well, apart from the person hiding on the other side of the dark expanse, that is.

Remus stumbled back as he realized he wasn't alone in the dark, traitorous costume cupboard.

"Uhm," He croaked in surprise. "Hello?"

"Hey, Moony." Said the stranger, and Remus jumped as he recognized the voice, even if he couldn't see the face.

"Padfoot?" He asked incredulously. "What're you doing in here?"

"Erm...looking for my costume?" He tried, and then sighed. "Okay, I'm psyching myself up. I'm kind of nervous." He admitted, as though confessing a huge secret.

Remus laughed.

"I'm glad. Now I can admit that I'm absolutely petrified."

"You are?" Sirius asked in surprise, looking up. Now that Remus's eyes were adjusting to the dark, he could make out Sirius's familiar features. (Not that he was looking for them.) "How come you didn't say anything?"

"Why didn't you?" Remus challenged, leaning against the back of the wardrobe, facing Sirius.

"I'm popular, Remus." Sirius said, as though explaining to a first year. "I can't let people know that I'M nervous. Besides, can you imagine what James would say if he knew I was ... NERVOUS?" He squeaked, looking around as though they could be overheard.

"Sirius, I have it on good authority that James is literally shaking in his boots." Remus laughed. "Lily told me he's been shaking for almost a week now."

Sirius's eyes glinted mischievously.

"Really? Ooh, wait till I see him next!"

"Sirius." Remus said warningly.

Sirius pouted.

"Fine."

There was silence between the two marauders as they careful studied-but-didn't-study each other in the dark.

"Er, Remus." Sirius began, licking his lips nervously.

"Yeah, Sirius?" Remus replied, his eyes not leaving Sirius's.

"I wanted to tell you something." Remus saw Sirius take a breath, and he wondered what could be so important that Sirius would...well..._shake._

Sirius _was_ shaking although he didn't know it, and he felt that he was justified. He hadn't meant to start saying anything, but the look in Remuss' eyes, like he was concealing something and wanted to let it out, had prompted him to throw caution to the winds and say something that couldn't be taken back.

Before he could say anything more, however, the door to the costume cupboard flew open and James stood there, a pale tinge to his cheeks.

"Get out." He said shortly, his eyebrows creasing together.

"What's wrong, Prongs?" Remus teased, trying to ignore the fact that Sirius had almost told him something and leant forward as he did so. "You feeling ill?"

"Oh, you're not...NERVOUS, are you?" Sirius joined in, smirking and trying to pretend that Remus was not standing so close to him that he could feel the other's heat.

"Yes." James said shortly, his eyes looking everywhere but at them. "And I know you two are as well, so don't say anything."

Sirius and Remus exchanged a look.

"As if we would!" They said in unison and laughed.

Side stage of a performance is possibly the worst place to be. When you're a performer waiting for the cue for your first line, anyway.

From where Remus stood, he could just see past the actors already on stage, into the audience. He spied every member of the school that he knew and more that he was sure were students from other schools come all the way across the world to see him embarrass himself.

The theatre lights blinded him if he looked to high up, so he avoided their glare, but he had to stop and admire their rigging.

Instead of trying to teach 7th year students to manoeuvre the wizarding lights, the faculty had decided to simply use muggle lighting devices, as for once, they had invented something worthwhile using.

Of course, it was a wizarding performance, so the lights were controlled by magic rather than by a control desk, and the special effects that would normally be electronic special effects were often real creatures or potions.

James stood beside Remus and jiggled up and down. His eyes were wide open and he stared unblinkingly at the stage. It was his first scene and he was waiting anxiously for his cue.

At least, Remus THOUGHT he was waiting for his cue; Lily was on stage at that very moment, and even Remus had to admit she looked stunning. Costume makeup was certainly great for not only standing out on stage, but close up shots were also enhanced.

Sirius and Remus began on opposite sides of the stage, so where waiting in the opposite wings. Remus's entrance was from Centre Stage Left (--- That way) and Sirius's entrance was from Centre Stage Right (That way --), but the stage was small enough that they could see each other from where they stood.

Right before their scene commenced, they gave each other encouraging glances and smiles and stepped onto stage.

"Tom, Tom! You have to see this!" Remus cried, running on stage as the lights regained their full intensity after dimming from the last scene.

"See what?" Sirius inquired lazily, throwing himself down on the green couch and hooking his leg over the armchair.

"There's a new couple that's just moved in across the road." Remus replied happily, showing Sirius a real estate card.

"Mm, and sooo? Why does this interest me?" Sirius answered, flipping over onto his stomach. "Are any of them hot?"

Remus blushed and nodded vigorously.

"Actually, Tom, yes, yes, they are!"

Sirius sat up with the speed of light.

"Well, then, what are you WAITING for?" He demanded, whipping out a comb from his pocket and attempting to tame the careful constructed wild hair. (Based on James's black locks that never lay flat)

"I wasn't waiting." Remus said, pouting and sitting down on the recently vacated green chair and crossing his arms. "YOU were."

"Well, now I'm not." Sirius said impatiently and grabbed his jacket from a strategically appearing hand from back stage (The set designers had forgotten to put on one stage).

"But now I am waiting." Remus said, flipping onto his back. "I don't think I want to go anymore."

Sirius suddenly paused in his movements and turned his head towards Remus.

"What do you mean?" He asked in a cautious tone of voice. "You're not...sick, are you?"

He grabbed a necklace of garlic and a cross as he said the line, holding them aloft and looking at Remus with such terror that the first laughs of the scene were stolen from the audience.

Their laughter gave Remus such a boost that he barely remembered the rest of the night.

He remembered slouching off stage after Sirius and suddenly feeling amazingly light-headed. He contributed that to the reason why he flung his arms around Sirius's neck and bounced up and down with adrenaline and happiness.

To be fair, Sirius didn't seem to mind.

Then came...THE scene. You know, the scene that every actor hates but knows they have to do. In Remus and Sirius' case, it was the scene where Tom and Philip finally realize their undying love for each other and...er...well...kiss.

It was times like these that Remus and Sirius wished they had left the homosexual parts up to Snivellus and his unconventional tastes.

Nevertheless, however, they did have to perform the scene, in front of the entire school and staff, whether they liked it or not. Remus wiped his hands anxiously on his trousers as the scene before theirs finished, and avoided looking at Sirius, who was once again on the opposite sides of the stage.

Then, long before Remus was ready, the scene finished and the lights dimmed to inform the audience that a scene change was taking place, and Remus scuttled on stage to his position and froze.

The lights rose again, and he was blinded by the giant spotlight directed at him.

"The story so far!" Remus began, grinning cheesily at the audience, and pulling on a fake newsreader voice. "Adelle and Eddie have discovered that being intimate isn't very easy on stage, Lucy and Jim have decided to run away from the stresses of life and elope, and Bill and Mary have decided to tell their friends that they have decided to adopt a child." He quirked his eyebrow comically. "And Tom and Philip have decided that they can't keep their unconventional undying love for each other a secret from each other, and have decided to confess."

At that moment, Sirius appeared on stage from up stage Right (--- That way) and waved to the audience.

"Er, Philip." He said awkwardly, running his hands through his hair. "Can ... can I sort of talk to you?"

"Can't you just talk to me?" Remus quipped, putting away the book he was pretending to be reading.

Sirius looked puzzled.

"Er, that's what I wanted to do." He said.

Remus sighed.

"It's was a joke...oh, never mind. What did you want to talk about?"

Here Sirius looked extremely uncomfortable, and Remus wasn't sure if he was acting anymore.

"Erm, well, me." He said desperately.

"Yes, I figured that." Remus said patiently. "What about you?"

"Ah, I kind of love someone." Sirius blurted and looked at the floor.

"I know that." Remus said, also looking at the ground, and his facing dropping dramatically.

"Mmm, well, you don't know who it is." Sirius replied, stepping closer to him and sitting down next to him on the green couch.

Remus feigned surprise and opened his eyes wide.

"What? You mean you're actually going to tell me who this mystery person is?"

Sirius nodded.

"Yes. I decided it was, you know, like, time." He took a breath. "Uhm, I love...I love...I love...you."

There was a pregnant, expectant hush throughout the auditorium, as the appreciative audience waited for Philip's reply. Remus tried to ignore the jolt in his stomach at even the sound of those words coming out of Sirius' mouth and directed towards him.

Towards Philip, not you, he reminded himself, and almost forgot his next line.

"Uh, well, that's certainly a development." He quipped, and looked Sirius in the eye. "Not unwelcome, I might add, but...a development none the less."

Sirius quirked an eyebrow.

"Not unwelcome? You don't mean..."

"I probably do." Remus admitted, and waited for Sirius' reaction.

As rehearsed, Sirius leaned forward and carefully planted his lips on Remus's, pushing him down onto the green couch. A collective gasp from the audience ran through the auditorium, but Remus didn't much care.

It was an entirely new experience for him, and he wasn't going to let anything spoil it. Suddenly, the lights dimmed, and the curtain dropped, leaving the two alone together on the couch. Sirius ended the kiss as soon as the blackout was complete, and then hesitated, locking eyes with Remus and not letting go.

Get up, you fool! Sirius' mind screeched, commanding him to get up from the couch and do what he was supposed to do; go back stage and get ready for the finale.

But the less logical part of his mind was not letting him move a muscle, unless it was his neck muscles, so that he could reach further down and...hmm.

"Sirius! Remus!" Somebody hissed from off stage, and the moment between them was broken. Sirius leapt of Remus as though he was on fire, and sprinted off into the wings, leaving a somewhat dazed Remus to make his way to the wings as well.

Then, quite before they knew it, the night was over and they were taking their bows.

The applause from the audience was absolutely deafening and Remus thought his face was going to crack from the huge smile stretched across it.

He and Sirius marched on stage for their personal finale, and he was almost overwhelmed by the reaction they received. He didn't think that the entire population of Hogwarts had even clapped or cheered quite so hard, even at the sorting hat dinners, but they were certainly clapping that hard now.

Sirius caught Remus' eye mischievously as they reached the apron of the stage. Taking his hand, he suddenly whipped his arm under his back and turned his own back to the audience, pretending to...er...he thought the correct term was snog him senseless. Remus struggled back to a standing position and pretended to grin dazedly at the audience, before leading Sirius hurriedly back stage before anything else could transpire.

And then it was over.

The backstage after party was a complete mix of adrenaline charged hyperactivity, and depressed er depressiveness.

Remus was somewhere in between, and he was feeling decidedly wrung out. Something felt at odds with his insides, and he seemed extraordinarily tired. Something was not right.

Before he could figure out what it was, somebody passed him a cup of pumpkin juice, and he gulped it down eagerly, hoping it would settle his writhing stomach. He stood in his usual place in the corner, and watched the proceedings from his hidey hole.

Sirius, as usual, was the centre of attention, and Remus watched with fondness as his best friend laughed and drank with the entire cast of 'Romance From Every Quarter'.

They even toasted him for his terrific performance. Nobody had said anything to Remus. Not that he minded, of course, because that would mean talking to people and thinking of a gracious way to accept the compliment. Maybe that was why Sirius was being heralded, because people knew how he was going to react.

Before he could think of anything else, the room suddenly swam before his eyes, and he felt as though he was going to throw up. Making a mad dash for the auditorium door, he hoped that nobody had seen him.

He had his hand on the toilet door before he realized why he was feeling so out of place and disjointed; it was the full moon that night.

Groaning and placing a hand on his head, and he spun hurriedly on his heel and sprinted away from the Room of Requirement, where the stage had suddenly appeared, and tried to get away from Hogwarts Main before the transformation came.

He was such an idiot! How could he have let himself forget that it was full moon that night? He had been living with the condition for so long, it wasn't something that just 'slipped your mind.' He was a werewolf, and as such he had a duty to his fellows to protect them from himself.

Running as fast as he possibly could across the extensive grounds, it still wasn't fast enough, and he could feel himself transforming as the beams of the full moon hit him directly in the face.

Still running, he felt the burning sensation of hair growing in all places, and winced. He was running out of time. Before he could even complete this thought, the strong ache of his limbs warping into animal style began, and he found himself struggling to decide if he wanted to run on four legs or remain on two.

He finally dropped to four legs, and raced across the last expanse of grounds, the rest of his hideous body transforming as he did so.

Breathing heavily, he crashed through the Womping Willow's defences and slammed into the wall of the Shrieking Shack. Shaking inside, he tried to curl up and hide in a corner, but his werewolf instincts took over the human side of him, and told him to hunt.

It seemed, however, that even the werewolf's energy depended upon Remus' wellbeing, and it didn't have the vigour to keep itself up and moving, as it wanted. Sensing its weakness, Remus exerted what little bit of his tired will he had left, and forced the werewolf's mind to the back of his mind.

Some time passed, and Remus finally fought the werewolf back to the recess of his mind where it belonged.

He had always thought of the lycanthropy as a separate entity inside of his mind. The werewolf was the other side of Remus, the darker, scary side, that he tried to hide away as often as he could. It was the side that laughed heartily when someone dropped their books and was often the side that persuaded him to go along with the meaner pranks of James and Sirius.

But the werewolf sometimes wasn't as bad as Remus sometimes thought. More than once, somebody had found out that Remus shared his body with the werewolf, and tried to harm him for it. At those times, Remus was mostly unaware of the evil intent stirring in the hearts of the person who was seething inside. The werewolf was the one who told him that a person was approaching with a knife, or who let Remus his instincts so that he could escape danger.

It was a love/hate relationship between the two, on Remus's side, at least. He knew the werewolf hated him. That was why Remus fought so hard to keep the lycanthrope contained inside him, because if it were ever to get free, Remus and the world around him would never recover.

Remus drifted from the dark thoughts of the werewolf, to the more confusing thoughts of Sirius.

He wondered if he had merely imagined the look in Sirius' as he had lain atop him during the performance. The look of lust and passion that he guessed was mirrored in his own eyes.

He decided that he had to be imagining it, because Sirius didn't love him. Sirius was Sirius. If Sirius wanted something, he went after it. If Sirius loved him, he would have said something, even if Remus had rejected him. (Which he wouldn't have done.)

His thoughts floated drowsily to thoughts of love in general. They came back to one thought that had always perturbed him; why do humans always want to be 'with' the person they love? He had never been exactly clear on that point. What was the _point_ of kissing someone? It felt good, but what did it achieve? Maybe that was it. Maybe it was all about feeling good. He shook his mangy werewolf head and sighed, resting his chin on his forelegs. It didn't matter anyway.

He managed to stay awake a few hours longer, his werewolf senses listening for footsteps, listening for the night noises, before he drifted off to sleep.

The after party went on late into the night. Sirius was the centre of attention, and was drinking it all in. He had just about every member of the female population hanging off his arm and offering to get him drinks, and every member of the male population was either slapping him on the back or sending pleading looks at him to allow them to steal a girl or two.

This was the life.

Still, something was missing. Something always _was_, these days. Glancing around the room momentarily, it seemed that although it was full, it was empty. Most of his life seemed as though it was missing something these days, Sirius mused, and then laughed at something someone said and made an excuse to get away for a moment.

He closed the door behind him, and leant against the wooden frame, breathing deeply. Why did he feel so empty? What was missing? Remus would know what was wrong, Sirius thought, and grinned.

Then he stood bolt upright.

Oh, bloody hell.

Turning on his heel, he sprinted as fast as he possibly could away from the Room of Requirement and the afterparty, and into the black expanse of grounds that was Hogwarts.

He didn't know how many times he had made this trip with Remus, James and Peter, but it seemed a lot more sinister now, running across the wet grass by himself. He changed into Animagus form as he reached the Whomping Willow, and ducked inside the Shrieking Shack.

Remus/the werewolf was curled up in a corner, huddling in the darkness. He looked so forlorn that Sirius's heart rose into his throat at the prospect of Remus being unhappy.

The depth of his own remorse surprised him. He had slowly been coming to terms with the fact that Remus meant more to him than he should, but he hadn't realized HOW much more.

Oh, bollocks. He thought as the answer became clear to him. I'm in bloody love with him. Well, this was a development.

His immediate thought after this revelation was what Remus would think if he told him. If Remus was even halfway sensible, he would be disgusted and horrified. But sometimes Remus wasn't sensible. Sometimes Remus was downright barmy. And lately, Sirius thought he'd been picking up vibes from him that he hadn't noticed before. Perhaps Occlumency was paying off after all.

He stared at the sleeping werewolf, and considered waking him, but decided against it. From long experience with the lycanthropy that infected his best friend, he knew it was best to let him sleep it off.

So Sirius shook his shaggy black mane and lay down next to the exhausted werewolf, his glistening eyes watching the rise and fall of the animal's chest. Without knowing it, he fell asleep.

The first thing Remus saw when he woke up that morning tired and sore, was fur. Everywhere. He pulled back a bit, now in human form again, and his aching eyes focussed properly. He started a bit in surprise as he recognized Sirius's Animagus form, and relaxed. Stretching slightly, Remus rubbed his hand over his face and winced. Everything ached.

Deciding he wanted sympathy, he poked Sirius in the stomach until he woke up.

Opening one glistening eye, Sirius glared at him, but transformed to human form.

"Morning, Moony." He mumbled, trying to sit up and failing utterly.

Remus made a face.

"At least you didn't say 'good.'" He replied, although his morning was made better by the sight of Sirius, sleepy and tousled waking up beside him.

"It's the morning after a wonderful performance, Remus, the morning _is_ good." Sirius replied, raising and eyebrow and succeeding at getting up and stretching.

The whole getting sympathy from Sirius idea wasn't going too well. Remus thought.

"You weren't saying that last night." Remus teased. "As I remember you were shaking in your boots."

Sirius pouted.

"Well, so were you."

Remus shook his head.

"No, I wasn't. I was just saying that to make you feel better."

Sirius surveyed him with a look that clearly didn't believe him.

"Whatever you reckon, Moony." He yawned, and stretched again.

"I was!" Remus protested, and then his breath was knocked from his chest as he was thrown backwards. "Hey, what're you doing?"

Sirius was now sitting astride him, grinning.

"Making you nervous." He replied cheerfully. And he reached down to tickle.

He didn't get very far, however, because Remus let out a menacing growl, and Sirius snatched his hand back. He had forgotten it was the morning after. The werewolf was still present inside his best friend after a full moon.

He ceased his efforts of tickling, but didn't move from astride Remus.

"Er, Sirius." Remus said cautiously. "You are still sitting on me."

"Do you want me to sit here?" Sirius asked, almost playful, but knowing he wanted the answer to be a serious one.

"Do you want to sit there?" Remus replied. Was Sirius imagining things, or did Remus breath just hitch in his throat, then? Hoping he had heard it, and conveniently forgetting that he was lying across Remus's chest and the hitch from his throat very well could be because he couldn't breath, he nodded.

"Yes. I suppose I do." He replied, watching Remus's face carefully. He found no reaction, but inside, Remus was quivering with excitement.

Sirius was sitting, well, lying really, atop him, his eyes searching Remus's face intently, and he had just admitted to wanting to keep lying on him. What in Hogwarts did THAT mean?

Hoping it meant what he wanted it to mean, Remus brought his hands up to rest gently on Sirius's waist.

"Mm? Well, good." He told Sirius, and said nothing more. Their eyes stared straight into one another, just as they had the night before on a green couch in much the same position.

Before he could reconsider, or even consider, or even think of what he was doing, Sirius leant forward, and kissed Remus.

To be fair, Remus kissed him back.

Sirius was more than surprised to experience the vehemence to which Remus responded to his advances, and hoped it meant what he hoped in meant.

"Let me ask you something." Sirius whispered as they finished. "Did you want me to do that again?"

"I don't know." Remus replied, his eyes skating across his features. "Did you want to do it again?"

"Mm, yes." Sirius said, and leant forward again. He trailed little kisses down Remus's jaw line, causing his breath to stick in his throat once again.

"...Love you muchly, Padfoot." Remus gasped, and Sirius stopped. He looked at him in surprise.

"Do you?" He asked, hoping his anxiousness didn't show on his face. It must have, because Remus closed his eyes and nodded.

"Yes, oh yes." He whispered, and Sirius grinned.

"Oh, good." He said in relief. Remus's eyes flew open and focussed on Sirius.

"Good? Are you suggesting that..?" He left the line unfinished, hoping Sirius would finish. Sirius nodded.

"Yeah. Guess I am."

He leant down to kiss Remus again, but Remus suddenly sat up and pushed him off. Sirius landed with a thump and frowned. That wasn't the reception he had expected. He looked at Remus, who was now pacing the room in agitation, running his hands through his hair, mumbling.

"Remus!" Sirius demanded, hurt and impatient now. "Sit down."

Remus did so instantly, for once obeying an order.

"Whatever is the matter?" Sirius asked, hoping it wasn't his fault.

"I'm a werewolf, Sirius." He said, as though this was something new.

"I know that." Sirius said, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"We mate for life." Remus continued. "Once we choose a mate, we never let go." He looked Sirius in the eye. "If you want me, you have me."

Sirius felt his gut wrench at such blatant words coming from his Moony, but didn't say anything, hoping there wasn't a 'but.' He wanted Remus so badly it hurt.

"But if you do want me, it's forever." Remus said, still looking at him directly. "There's no going back."

Sirius grinned, and pulled on his shoulders, pulling him down on top of him.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He whispered.

You must now imagine that the second curtain is closing on the stage. The theatre lanterns are dimming, and the audience strains to see more of the actors on stage. There is no sound from the actors, but the audience continues to watch as the curtain descends from its high perch, shielding them from view.

The curtain lands with a heavy 'fwump' on the wooden stage, and the audience is jolted suddenly back to reality as they realize it's over. Their applause is thunderous, like rain on a tin roof, but the actors don't care. They can't hear them. The audience claps as they leave, still filled with such emotion that they don't want to let it go.

Finally the atmosphere leaves them, and they move out of the auditorium door.

The actors on stage don't care. They can't hear them.

You must now imagine that this is the end of this tale, and the end of this play. Please take your programs and dispose of your wrappers thoughtfully. Think of us every once in a while, and remember; romance comes from every quarter.

No encores, please.

Adieu.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hm, okay, well, sorry it's the end, but at least the chapter was long, no? I just got so completely stuck with this, that I had to end it, otherwise I would hate it, and I didn't want that to happen. I may add some more, if I can, but I doubt it. I don't think this is the last you will see of 'I don't even like Harry Potter y'kno', especially in regard to Remus/Sirius. Anyway, thanks muchly to all reviewers, and all who have stuck with me through the chapter mix ups and such. I hope you all enjoyed this and perhaps we'll met again!

Ciao,

Lizzy (IDELHP)

I would put in responses, but I can't for the life of me remember where I was up to, and who I've written to and who I haven't. I copy and paste into word, you see, but I forgot to separate out the chapters, and well, now I"ve forgotten. I'm really quite upset; I haven't ever not put in responses. I feel evil. Anyway, let's just say THANK YOU MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! And many thanks to Grimy Grunhilda Grunt, who was the main reason I continued this. Your story rocked, by the way. Anyway, I'll shut up now. G'bye!


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